303 



5- Rhombatractus catherinae de Bfrt. 



Rhombatracttts catherinae de Beaufort, Zool. Anz. XXXVI. 1910, p. 250. — 

 Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde Afl. 19, Amsterdam, 1913, p. 106. 



Rhotnbosoiiia novae-giiineac Tate Regan, Trans. Zool. Soc. XX. Part. 6, 1914, 

 p. 283 (pro parte). 



DM. 3—5; D-.I. II — 13; A.I. 19—23; P. I. 12— 13; V.L5; 

 L.l. 32— 35; L.tr. 12(11'/,). 



Dorsal profile nearly straight, sloping down from dorsal to 

 snout, a little more convex in large specimens. Ventral profile 

 strongly convex in large specimens. Height in smaller specimens 

 (to 100 mm.) 2.5 — 3.2, 3 — 3.75 in length with caudal, in spe- 

 cimens above 100 mm. 2.2 — 2.5, 2.7 — 3 in length with caudal. 

 Head 3.2 — 3.7, 4 — 4.5 in length with caudal. Eye 3 — 3.8, about 

 1.5 in interorbital space, which is about equal to postorbital 

 part of head. Snout rather obtuse, 2.6 — 3 in head and only 

 a little longer than eye. Upper jaw prominent. Mouthopening 

 reaching to vertical through frontborder of eye. Conical teeth 

 in several rows in the jaws, extending to the outside of the 

 lips, which are thickened, especially in their anterior part. 

 A patch of teeth on the vomer and perhaps a few on the 

 hinderpart of the palatines, none on tongue. Two rows of scales 

 on suborbital part of cheeks. Operculum with large scales, 

 excepting the superior ones, which are small. Dorsal separated 

 by 16 scales from occiput. Spine of first dorsal scarcely longer 

 than that of second dorsal, shorter than postorbital part of 

 head and much shorter than that of anal, which is about equal 

 to eye. Origin of anal opposite to that of first dorsal. Length of 

 base of anal longer than distance between origin of first dorsal 

 and end of second dorsal. Pectorals longer than head without 

 snout. Scales nearly smooth, with indication of crenulations. 

 Caudal peduncle longer than high in small specimens, in large 

 specimens considerably higher than long. Colour of alcohol 

 specimens brown or yellowish brown on the back, ventrally 

 yellow or whitish. A broad black lateral band, at least as 

 broad as one scale, runs from the hindborder of the eye over 

 the base of the pectoral to the caudal. Fins dusky, base of 

 second dorsal and anal darker. In life the lateral band is dark- 

 blue and the scales have wine-red margins, which form about 

 8 longitudinal stripes. Proximal part of anal and second dorsal 

 wine-red. Length 119 mm. 



Habitat: Waigeu !. 



Freshwater. 



